Automobile inflatable restraint systems are known in which air bags are associated with instrument panels or other interior parts for deployment into the passenger compartment during vehicle collisions.
An air bag is an envelope, usually concealed behind a door in an automobile's instrument panel. During an automobile collision, the air bag fills with a gas and rapidly expands.
The air bag pushes outwardly against the door as it expands causing the door to open. The air bag then passes through the opening and into the passenger compartment. Once in the passenger compartment the air bag continues to expand forming a cushion between the passengers and dashboard or windshield.
During the above process it is essential that the door concealing the air bag does not interfere with the air bag's deployment or harm the passengers. Thus, the door must release and move clear of the bag, and the passengers, with sufficient speed to permit unfettered deployment of the air bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,126 to Knight, IV et al shows an example of an inflatable restraint system and an associated door. The door in this patent has a hinge which guides the door out of the way of the expanding air bag and away from the passengers. One problem with such systems is that the hinge must be separately connected to a support member. Also the hinge structure adds to the cost of the system.
The present invention differs from the prior art in that the present invention does not utilize a hinge to control the direction of the inflatable restraint door when the air bag expands. Eliminating the hinge simplifies installation. Eliminating the hinge also means fewer parts are used in the automotive vehicle. This lowers the overall weight of the vehicle resulting in fuel savings.
The air bag force that is imparted to the door of the present invention is controlled by an integral part of the door to cause it to be directed away from the passengers and toward the windshield.